System for controlling flow rate in pipelines

A system having pipelines, a plurality of reservoirs and means for controlling the flow of fluid through said pipelines to, from, and between said plurality of reservoirs, comprising:

• valves and pumps installed in the pipelines for regulating the flow rate of fluid passing therethrough;
• first means for calculating the amount of predicted water demand Q.sub.je (t) which is supplied from any reservoir (j) to consummers and for producing an output signal representative thereof;
• second means operatively associated with said first means for calculating flow rate Q.sub.ij (t) changing with time (t) of fluid flowing in a pipeline from a reservoir (i) to a reservoir (j), from fluid level H.sub.i (t), H.sub.j (t);
• third means operatively associated with said first and second means for calculating fluid level H(t+1) at the time (t+1) of the reservoir (j) from the predicted demand Q.sub.je (t) received from the first means, the amounts of inflow Q.sub.ij (t) and outflow Q.sub.j (t) thereof and the water level H.sub.j (t) at the time (t) of the reservoir (j);
• and
• fourth means operatively associated with said first, second, and third means for controlling manipulatable variables of the pumps and valves when the water level H.sub.j (t+1) thus obtained is below a predetermined lower limitation LH.sub.j or over an upper limitation UH.sub.j so as to keep actual levels of fluid within said reservoirs between predetermined levels.